Sydney travel guide

Sydney Tourism | Sydney Guide

You're Going to Love Sydney

With 4,63 million inhabitants, Sydney is the most populous city in Australia. It is the most popular tourist destination in the country. Sydney deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Activities & attractions in Sydney

Where to Eat in Sydney

Sydney CBD is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Sydney. These include popular favourites such as HACO (21 Alberta St), Kobo (4 Loftus Ln) and Door Knock (B2/70 Pitt St). If you’re looking for affordable options, Cafe Sydney (31 Alfred St) and Mjølner Sydney (267 Cleveland Street) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Elements Bar and Grill Pyrmont (3 Harris St) and Yulli's (417 Crown Street) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Sydney.

When to visit Sydney

Sydney in January
Estimated hotel price
$267
1 night at 3-star hotel
Sydney in January
Estimated hotel price
$267
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Sydney in January, when the average temperature is 22 °C, and the highest can go up to 26 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is July, when it can get as cold as 6 °C, with an average temperature of 11 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in March, when precipitation is around 130 mm. In contrast, September is usually the driest month of the year in Sydney, with an average rainfall of 50 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Sydney

Plane

When flying to Sydney, you’ll arrive at Sydney Airport (SYD), which is located 7 km from the city centre. Airlines that fly from Australia to Sydney include IndiGo, American Airlines and Air Canada.

Train

The train station in Sydney is called Sydney Sydney Central Station, and is located 0.6 km from the city centre.

Car

Another option to get to Sydney is to pick up a car hire from Canberra, which is about 248 km from Sydney. You’ll find branches of Alamo and Sixt, among others, in Canberra.

Bus

Greyhound Australia operates bus routes to Sydney. From Melbourne, the bus ride to Sydney takes 1159 km and will cost you around $245. From Brisbane, the ticket costs about $269 for a journey of 1642 km. The most popular bus station is Sydney Sydney, Nsw, located 0.5 km from the city centre of Sydney. Sydney Strathfield is also a commonly used station, and is 12 km from the city centre.

Plane

When flying to Sydney, you’ll arrive at Sydney Airport (SYD), which is located 7 km from the city centre. Airlines that fly from Australia to Sydney include IndiGo, American Airlines and Air Canada.

Train

The train station in Sydney is called Sydney Sydney Central Station, and is located 0.6 km from the city centre.

Car

Another option to get to Sydney is to pick up a car hire from Canberra, which is about 248 km from Sydney. You’ll find branches of Alamo and Sixt, among others, in Canberra.

Bus

Greyhound Australia operates bus routes to Sydney. From Melbourne, the bus ride to Sydney takes 1159 km and will cost you around $245. From Brisbane, the ticket costs about $269 for a journey of 1642 km. The most popular bus station is Sydney Sydney, Nsw, located 0.5 km from the city centre of Sydney. Sydney Strathfield is also a commonly used station, and is 12 km from the city centre.

Airlines serving Sydney

Lufthansa
Good (4,599 reviews)
KLM
Good (849 reviews)
SWISS
Good (926 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,444 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,595 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,281 reviews)
Air France
Good (973 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,549 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (477 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,922 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,125 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,484 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,706 reviews)
Finnair
Good (876 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (834 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (910 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (835 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (5,500 reviews)
Ethiopian Air
Good (395 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (703 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Sydney

From 5-star hotels such as the W Sydney to great affordable options like the Mariners Court Hotel, Sydney offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $134 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $307 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Mad Monkey Coogee Beach and Citadines Walker North Sydney. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Sydney, with prices from $87 to $1,044 per night. Sydney CBD is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Sydney are about 17% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.

Sydney CBD - In Sydney’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include The Sebel Sydney Martin Place, Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour and Little National Hotel Sydney.

Surry Hills - Best Western Plus Hotel Stellar, Big Backpackers Hostel and Royal Exhibition Hotel have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Surry Hills will cost you about $112 per night.

Sydney CBD - In Sydney’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include The Sebel Sydney Martin Place, Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour and Little National Hotel Sydney.
Surry Hills - Best Western Plus Hotel Stellar, Big Backpackers Hostel and Royal Exhibition Hotel have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Surry Hills will cost you about $112 per night.
Most popular hotel in Sydney by neighbourhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Sydney

Most booked hotels in Sydney

Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
5 stars
Excellent (9.1, Excellent reviews)
$329+
Radisson Blu Hotel Sydney
5 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
$281+
View Sydney
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
$180+
Meriton Suites Kent Street, Sydney
5 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
$203+
Shangri-La Sydney
5 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$288+
Hyatt Regency Sydney
5 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$277+

Hiring a car in Sydney

Hiring a car in Sydney costs $68 per day, on average, or $136 if you want to hire it for 2 days. Budget, Thrifty and Ace Rental Cars are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Sydney is the Europcar branch at Sydney Airport, which is 7 km from the city centre.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 2% more expensive than at Sydney Kingsford Smith.

Expect to pay $1.70 per litre in Sydney (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $20.39 and $27.18. Mini (Class Mini Car or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Sydney, while also 77% cheaper than other types, on average.

Hiring a car in Sydney costs $68 per day, on average, or $136 if you want to hire it for 2 days. Budget, Thrifty and Ace Rental Cars are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Sydney is the Europcar branch at Sydney Airport, which is 7 km from the city centre.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 2% more expensive than at Sydney Kingsford Smith.

Expect to pay $1.70 per litre in Sydney (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $20.39 and $27.18. Mini (Class Mini Car or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Sydney, while also 77% cheaper than other types, on average.